AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Black Powder Shooting => Topic started by: burch on October 10, 2015, 01:43:42 AM
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I have a lot of FF on hand and was wondering if I can grind some of it into FFF and how to do it
Burch
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I'd say NO! Do not grind it. The only way I know of to get 3F from 2F is to use the proper screen and screen out the 3F kernels. You'll also get the fines so get ready to screen the 3F you get with a screen for 4F or smaller.
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I had a feelin that was gonna be the answer. I use FFF in my rifle, smoothbore and pistol. I use the FF in my mini cannon and have a pound on hand which I'll probably never need to buy it again.
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The safest way would be to mix the 2F with water to make it into a paste, roll it out and let it dry, then crumble it up to desired size granules. There are how to make Black Powder videos out on youtube that would show how to do it. Find where they've made a charcoal, saltpeter and sulfur paste and proceed on from there.
You definitely should not try to grind it dry in any quantity. E.g., putting 3 ounces into a coffee grinder and hitting the ON button would be potentially suicidal. I have turned 3F into finer priming powder, 1 or 2 teaspoons at a time using a ceramic mortar and pestle I bought at a kitchen gadget store. Never had it go off from gentle grinding, and I figured that that small an amount in an open container wouldn't do much more than scare the wits out of me if it did go. Lately , though, I find that as I age my respect for Death increases and I'm not doing much powder grinding any more.
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I have crunched 2f down to fine powder to prime the pan several times but never did enough for the main charge of even a small cal. gun. I used a rounded over 1/2 inch dowel in an old coffee cup. Small amounts at a time. ;)
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My advise is DON'T PLAY WITH IT. Spend $20. for the FFFg. Sure beats being laid up for several weeks with burned hands or worse.
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Ok then. I'll take the advice and just keep my FF for my cannon.
Thanks folks.
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Depending on the caliber, you can go ahead and use the FF in your rifle.
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I've used the FF in my 50 cal. and 20 ga. Smoothie. I just like the FFF better.
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Sorta of subject but do any of you guys remember the powder mill that I think E Christopher arms made years ago to grind 2f or3f into priming powder or dust?
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I have a lot of FF on hand and was wondering if I can grind some of it into FFF and how to do it
Burch
No.
Dan
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Ok then. I'll take the advice and just keep my FF for my cannon.
Thanks folks.
FF is too fine unless the bore is under 3/4"
Even F is too fine for full sized guns.
This is why they make "Cannon" which is far larger than F and much slower.
Dan
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Just shoot the stuff; maybe up to a 10% increase in the charge, depending on point of impact. I have a 40 cal. that seems to prefer FF. In the old days there was rifle powder and cannon powder with no intermittent grades.
Incidentally FF is too fine for anything other than a scale model cannon.
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Been noted many times here that you can develop and perhaps should develop loads for all your rifles with both powder granulations.
I say this due to distinct possibility of having only one or the other 'in stock' at a given time and since you developed loads for both 2F and 3F in your .30 through .50's or .54's, no problem, use what you have.
By the same token, I have loads in both my .58 and .69, that allow me to use 3F, even though 2F is the normal powder I use in those rifles.
In my .40 and .45, I have to use 10gr. MORE 2F to get the same ballistics (velocity), poi and accuracy as with their normal 3f loads.
With the patch and ball combinations I use, 2F shoots just as cleanly as 3F.
I have yet to experiment with the .32, but 2F will work in it too, just have to find it's sweet spot with 2F. There is not magic - no hard and fast rule on what you HAVE to use in what calibre, just do it so you will know - record your results. I use 3 ring binders for recording load data.
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Sorta of subject but do any of you guys remember the powder mill that I think E Christopher arms made years ago to grind 2f or3f into priming powder or dust?
I do remember those powder mills sold by E Chris and almost bought one until I started thinking about burnt fingers. I miss those stores. Bill Brahn always had a yarn to spin.
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I do remember those powder mills sold by E Chris and almost bought one until I started thinking about burnt fingers. I miss those stores. Bill Brahn always had a yarn to spin.
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Item no. 12, a steal at $3.00
(https://americanlongrifles.org/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi356.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Foo9%2Fghherd%2FTQ%2520H_zpsqq5zcnlr.jpg&hash=4ee56d139c0bbb3d4a1a76400e0401bdc05bd106)
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Yup, that's the one.
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18 grains FFG makes a very nice tree squirrel load in my long barrel caplock.
Lon